• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.1
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• pp.83-99
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• 2020

Shear walls are structural members in buildings that are used extensively in reinforced concrete frame buildings, and almost exclusively in the UK, regardless of whether or not they are actually required. In recent years, the UK construction industry, led by the Concrete Centre, has questioned the need for such structural elements in low to mid-rise reinforced concrete frame buildings. In this context, a typical modern, 5-storey residential building is studied, and its existing shear walls are replaced with columns as used elsewhere in the building. The aim is to investigate the impact of several design variables, including concrete grade, column size, column shape and slab thickness, on the building's structural performance, considering two punching shear limits (V_Ed/V_Rd,c), lateral drift and accelerations, to evaluate its maximum possible height under wind actions without the inclusion of shear walls. To facilitate this study, a numerical model has been developed using the ETABS software. The results demonstrate that the building examined does not require shear walls in the design and has no lateral displacement or acceleration issues. In fact, with further analysis, it is shown that a similar building could be constructed up to 13 and 16 storeys high for 2 and 2.5 punching shear ratios (V_Ed/V_Rd,c), respectively, with adequate serviceability and strength, without the need for shear walls, albeit with thicker columns.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2008

We present a method for interpreting seismic records with arrivals and waveforms having characteristics which could be generated by extremely inhomogeneous velocity structures, such as non-typical oceanic crust, decollement at subduction zones, and seamounts in oceanic regions, by comparing them with synthetic waveforms. Recent extensive refraction and wide-angle reflection surveys in oceanic regions have provided us with a huge number of high-resolution and high-quality seismic records containing characteristic arrivals and waveforms, besides first arrivals and major reflected phases such as PmP. Some characteristic waveforms, with significant later reflected phases or anomalous amplitude decay with offset distance, are difficult to interpret using only a conventional interpretation method such as the traveltime tomographic inversion method. We find the best process for investigating such characteristic phases is to use an interactive interpretation method to compare observed data with synthetic waveforms, and calculate raypaths and traveltimes. This approach enables us to construct a reasonable structural model that includes all of the major characteristics of the observed waveforms. We present results here with some actual observed examples that might be of great help in the interpretation of such problematic phases. Our approach to the analysis of waveform characteristics is endorsed as an innovative method for constructing high-resolution and high-quality crustal structure models, not only in oceanic regions, but also in the continental regions.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2017

This paper analyzed structural behaviors of the staggered truss system, typically used in low seismicity regions, resisting the lateral loads such as wind and seismic load. A comparative study of cost and efficiency was carried out by analysing and designing the 10- and 20-story buildings with various types of truss, including pratt, howe, warren, K-, and vierendeel, which may typically be used in staggered truss system. In design, column and truss members are selected in group, and the efficiency of the member design was judged by average demand capacity ratio of the all members in same group. And economic analysis of the system was investigated by the quantity of the structural members. As a result, staggered truss system with the pratt truss and warren truss showed the most economical and efficient performance for 10-story building, and 20-story building, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.103-110
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• 2020

In the recent seismic design code KDS 41 17 00, selection and modification procedures of ground motions which are used for nonlinear dynamic analyses were adopted. However, its practical applications are still limited due to the lack of literatures. This paper introduces case studies which used site-response analyses to select and modify ground motions for nonlinear dynamic analyses. Based on the case studies, design criterion for site-response analyses were reviewed thoroughly in the viewpoint of practical applications. It was found that design requirements related with bedrock motions are too conservative that ground motions are selected and modified in the excessive manner. It is especially true for low-rise building structures with period ranges including acceleration-sensitive regions. Even though surface motions have shown appropriate responses, such building structures have to re-select and re-modify ground motions based on pre-analysis procedures rather than post-ones according to the current seismic design code. Also, it was observed that building structures with soft soils under strong ground motions need more comprehensive investigations on soil properties and efficient analysis methods in order to perform site-response analyses. This is due to the fact that lack of reliabilities on soil properties and analysis methods could result in unstable site-responses.